Service compartment



Jan. 24, 1967 L.. G. slMJlAN 3,300,016

SERVI CE COMPARTMENT f "j @w AGENT.

Jan. 24, 1967 G. slMJlAN SERVICE COMPARTMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 24, 1965 INVENTOR LUTH ER G. SIMJIAN AGENT.

United States Patent O M' 3,300,016 SERVICE COMPARTMENT Luther G. Simjian, Greenwich, Conn., assignor to General Research, Inc., Greenwich, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed June 24, 1965, Ser. No. 466,705 Claims. (Cl. 194-4) cafeteria type meals. The same type arrangement may be l found useful, however, for other purposes and no limitation as the use of the construction revealed hereafter shall be implied.

The concept described hereafter, quite broadly, involves the use of an array of compartments, each compartment for receiving an arrticle, quite specifically, a meal which has been ordered by a customer or patron. The compartment is locked and cannot be opened by the customer until the meal has been deposited in the particular compartment. When a meal has been so deposited in the compartment, the customer may use a previously assigned key to open the compartment and remove the meal. The

key is automatically return to a position at which it may be issued to another customer.

The arrangement provides for quick and eflcient service, yet is characterized by certain attributes normally associated only with personalized service, that is, a degree of privacy and an absence of having to stand in line.

One of the principal objects of this invention is, therefore, the provision of a new and improved service compartment.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a service compartment which is provided with a check operated ock and which is operable only under certain predetermined conditions.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a compartment construction and features associated therewith which make such compartments suited particularly for meal dispensing stations, cafeteras and the like.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a compartment which is accessible from two sides, one such side being exposed to the customer Who, by means of a check means, is able to gain access to the compartment when an order has been filled and who, upon gaining such access, loses possession of the check means.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of meansA for returning the check means after use by a customer to a central issuing station without the requirement that the customer return such check means, such return being fully automatic and beyond the control of the customer.

' Further and still other objects of this invention will be more fully apparent by reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical front view of an area having the service compartments per this invention;

FIGURE 2 .is a view, partly in section, along lines 2 2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front view of an individual compartment;

3 ,3 001,01 6 Patented Jan.` 24, 1967 FIGURE 4 is a sectional view along lines 4-4 in l FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view along lines 5*-5 in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a typical check means adapted to operate the lock means;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view along lines 7-7 in FIG- URE 5;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical section showing the lock means in relation to the transport means for the check means, and

FIGURE 9 is a schematic electrical circuit diagram of the control means for a single compartment.

Referring now to the gures and FIGURES 1 and 3 in particular, there is shown an attendant station 10 which, preferably, is manned by an attendant 11. At either side A. of this station 10, there is disposed an array, 14 and 14A,

of rectangular compartments, such as the typical compartments 16, 16A, 16B. Although the compartments are shown as being two tiers high, it will be apparent that more tiers may be used.

Each compartment is tted at its front side with a door 18, or other suitable closure, which is mounted to the compartment by a hinge 19. l The door carries also a knob 20 and an identifying marker 22. Preferably the hinge 19 includes a spring (not shown) to urge the door .toward the associated compartment. As best seen in FIGURE 4, the rear side of the compartment is open in order that service personnel may place a meal into the compartment.

As seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, each compartment is fitted with a stationary bottom plate 24 and a movable v; support plate 26 which is urged toward its raised position URE 6 shows-such-a typical card 30, namely a .plastican by a set ofhelical compression springs 28. The springs are retained in suitable recesses of the plate 24 and a set of pins depending from the plate 26 moves with the platethrough the center of each respective spring. An electrical circuit syitch S3 is provided in a recess of the stationary plate 24 and is operated when the movable plate 26 moves toward the stationary bottom plate 24 in response to a meal having been inserted into the compartment, the weight thereof causing the plate 26 to move toward the plate 24. Y

A check operated lock means cooperates with the door and compartment, each lock and check means being suitably keyed to one another so that each compartment door-can be operated only by a respective check means. Preferably, a master o r supervisory key is available to authorized personnel.V The preferred lock and check means is the so-called card key system which comprisesa magnetically coded card and an electrically operated lock which senses the magnetic code of the card. FIG- outline in FIGURES 3, 5, 7 and 8. lThe lock 36 is pro-v vided with a-bolt 38 adapted to engage a catch 39 for4 locking the respective door to the associated compartment. The. bolt is withdrawn from the catch when a properly coded check means, card 30, is inserted into the' lock. Electrical power is supplied to the lock by conductors'40. This card key and lock means isV availablev commercially and Ais used for parking area gates, doors for security zones and the like. operated lock means may be used. Y

In order to insert a respective card 30 into the associated lock means, each compartment is provided with a vertical chute or. passageway 50 which leads from the exterior of the compartment to the respective lock means. A con- Alternatively, other check tinuation 51 of this chute leads from the lock means 36 to a point slightly beyond the compartment.

As clearly evident in FIGURES 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8, this chute is of rectangular cross section for guiding a respective card 30 from a funnel shaped entrance opening 52 to the lock means 36. Immediately below the funnel shaped entrance opening 52 there is disposed a sliding gate means 54 which is fitted with an aperture 56 and is operable by a solenoid S1. When the solenoid is de-energized, as shown in FIGURE 8, the passageway 50 is blocked by the solid section of the gate and the card 30 is not accepted for passage to the lock means 36. When the solenoid S1 is energized, however, the aperture 56 of the gate 54 is brought into register with the chute 50 to provide an unobstructed path to the lock means 36.

Below the 4lock means 36 there is disposed another and similar gate means 58, having an aperture 60 and being operable by a solenoid S2. This gate means supports the card in the lock means and retains the card until the solenoid S2 is energized, which condition causes the aperture 60 to be in register with the lower chute piortion 51, the portion through which the check means travels subsequent to the operation of the lock means.

The lower chute portion 51, FIGURES 7 and 8, terminates in a funnel shaped portion 64 which serves to guide the check means out of the chute. As Seen quite clearly in FIGURE 2, each of the compartments 16 and 16A is associated with a respective chute, 50 and 50A, whose lower portions are so inclined that the lower terminus of each chute does not interfere with the other.

A check means leaving the lower portion of a respective chute drops upon a conveying means which comprises an endless belt 70 disposed directly underneath and at the rear of the compartment array. This belt rotates about a set of pulleys 72 and 74, driven by an electric mot-or 76 via a drive belt 78. A check means which is released and drops upon the belt 70 is conveyed to a receptacle 80 disposed within easy reach of the attendant. It should be noted that transport means are arranged at either side of the attendant station 10 so that the check means fnor'ri either the left or the right array, 14 and 14A, is conveyed to the attendant station.

' Operation of the heretofore described arrangement may be visualized by following t-he preferred mode of operation which is as follows:

A customer interested in purchasing a meal steps up to the attendant station 10, deposits |his filled tout order slip, pays the proper charge for the meal and receives from the attendant a card, for example the card carrying identifying number 12. This will signify that the customer will receive his meal in compartment 12. Referring now to FIGURE 9, switch S4 is the master switch which needs to be closed for operation of the compartment. As soon as switch S4 is closed, the lock 36 is energized and is adapted to' operate, provided that the respective card is received therein.

As the meal is being prepared or collected, the compartment carrying number 12, FIGURE 3, is empty, the switch contact S3 is open, and solenoid S1 is de-energized so that the gate 54 blocks the insertion of the card into the chute 50. As soon as a tray lor the meal is inserted into the compartment from the rear side and rests on the movable plate 26, the switch S3 is actuated which in turn closes a circuit to the relay coil K1, causing the actuation of the associated switch contacts. Bridging of the lower relay contacts energizes solenoid S1, thereby causing the aperture 56 fof the gate 54 to move into register with the chute 50 so as to provide an open passage for the card 30 to the lock means. If at some moment later, the customer, alerted by a suitable signal signifying that his meal is ready, inserts the received card into the chute 50, the card drops into alignment with the lock means. If t-he key means is the correct one, the lock means 36 is actuated so as to withdraw the associated bolt 38. The card is still retained in the lock. The

customer now may open the front door 18 of the compartment and remove his meal. The removal of the weight from the plate 26 opens the switch S3 which, in turn, breaks the electrical circuit to the relay coil K1. When relay coil K1 is de-energized, solenoid S2 is energized, which condition causes the gate 58 to operate so as to align the aperture 60 with the chute 51, thereby freeing the card previously held in the lock means. Simultaneously solenoid S1 is de-energized and locks the upper portion of the. chute. The card now drops onto the belt 70 and is conveyed by the belt to the receptacle 80 so that the attendant obtains repossession of the check means. It may be noted that the check means is released only after the customer has actually removed his purchased meal from the compartment.

It will be apparent that the present invention, aside from the purchase .of meals may be used for other and similar purposes involving the described sequence of transactions. If by any chance a customer inserts a wrong check means, such check q-uite obviously will fail to operate the lock means and such check is retained in the lock by the gate 58. Upon reporting such occurrence to the attendant, a release switch (not shrown) can be operated to brieiiy energize the solenoid S2 whereby to release the check; yet the lock remains not operated since the check means did not match t-he respective lock. Alternatively, instead of the release switch, a sensing circuit may be included which senses the presence of the card in the lock means and the failure of the card to actuate the lock means, as the card is not keyed to the respective lock means. Upon sensing the existence of this condition, the circuit actuates the gate means 58 to eject the card.

The switch S3 may be replaced by other sensing means such as photoelectric sensing means or other suitable means for determining the presence or absence of an article in the associated compartment.

A variation lof the above arrangement comprises an installation in which the meal is inserted into the respective compartments from t'he front side, by means of opening and closing the doors 18, in which case the compartments are serviced from only one side. In this event, the master key, mentioned heretofore, is used byy the service personnel to unlock the door and insert the meal into a respective compartment. The use of the master key then conditions the gate and lock means for the subsequent acceptance of the associated check means. Obviously, certain circuit modifications (not shown) are necessary so that the master switch overrides the lockout feature provided by switch S3 in combination with the relay K1. rllhese modifications are readily understood by those skilled in the art.

While there has been described and illustrated a certain preferred embodiment of the present invention and a variation thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various further changes and modifications may be made therein without deviating from the broad principle and intent -of this invention which shall be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the type described comprising:

a compartment;

a closure mounted for providing access to said compartment when said closure is open and for preventing access when said closure is locked;

a lock means, operable by a check means, for locking said closure mounted in cooperative relation with said compartment and closure;

sensing means disposed for sensing the presence of an article in said compartment;

gate means for precluding the insertion of said check means into said lock means;

means for retaining said check means subsequent to the operation of said lock means;

control means for causing operation of said gate means in response to said sensing means sensing the presence of an article in said compartment whereby to condition said lock means for the acceptance of said check means, and upon said lock means being 0perated by said check means to cause said means for retaining said check means to retain such check means while said sensing means senses the presence of an article in said compartment, and

said control means causing said means for retaining the check means to release the check means responsive to said sensing means sensing the absence of an' article in said compartment.

2. A device of the type described as set forth in claim 1 wherein said compartment is accessible from two sides and said closure respectively provides access to and bars such access from one of the two sides.

3. A device of the type described as set forth in claim 2 wherein said two sides are opposite sides.

4. A device of the type described comprising:

a compartment accessible from two sides;

a door mounted for providing access to said compartment from one of the sides when said door is open and for preventing access from said one side when said door is locked;

a lock means, operable by a check means, for locking said door mounted in cooperative relation with said compartment and door;

sensing means disposed for sensing the presence of an article in said compartment;

gate means for precluding the insertion of said check means into said lock means whereby to preclude opening of said door and access to said compartment from said one side in the absence of an article in said compartment;

means for retaining said check means subsequent to the operation of said lock means and while said sensing means senses the presence of an article;

control means for causing operation of said gate means in response to said sensing means sensing the presence of an article in said compartment whereby to condition said lock means for the acceptance of said check means, and upon said lock means being operated by said check means to cause said means for retaining said check means to retain such check means while said sensing means the presence of an article in said compartment;

and said control means causing said means for retaining said check means to release said check means responsive to said sensing means sensing the absence of an article in said compartment, and

means disposed outside said compartment for receiving the check means subsequent to its release by said means for retaining.

5. A device of the type described as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means disposed outside said compartment for receiving said check means is adapted to transport the check means to a position remote from said compartment.

6. A device of the type described and as set forth in claim S wherein said sensing means is a weight responsive means.

7. A device of the type described as set forth in claim 4 wherein the check means is associated with a respective lock means.

8. A device of the type described comprising:

a plurality of compartments accessible from two sides;

each compartment having a door mounted for providing access to a respective compartment from one of said sides when the associated door is open and for preventing access from said one side when the associated door is locked;

lock means, operable by check means, for locking each respective door mounted in cooperative relation with such compartment and door;

a sensing means disposed in each compartment for sensing the presence of an article in such compartment;

gate means associated with each lock means for precluding the insertion of check means into a lock means whereby to preclude unlocking of the respective door and access to such compartment from said one side in the absence of an article in the associated compartment;

means for retaining each check means subsequent to the operation of an associated lock means and while the respective sensing means senses the presence of an article in the associated compartment;

control means for causing, upon a sensing means sensing the presence of an article in the associated com-A. partment, operation of the respective gate means whereby to condition the respective lock means for the acceptance of a check means, and upon said lock means being operated by such received check means to cause said means for retaining said check means to retain such check means while said sensing means senses the presence of an article in the respective compartment;

and said control means causing said means for retaining such check means to release the respective check means responsive to said sensing means sensing the absence of an article in said compartment, and

a transport means disposed for receiving the check means subsequent to its release by said means for retaining and for transporting the check means to a position remote from said compartment.

9. A device of the type described and as set forth in claim 8 wherein each lock means is keyed to and associated with a respective check means to be operated only by such keyed check means.

10. A device of the type described and as set forth in claim 8 wherein each compartment is provided with a chute for receiving a check means and guiding such check means to said lock means, and for guiding such check means from said lock means to said transport means, and said gate means is adapted to preclude the insertion of a check means into said chute for conveyance to said lock means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,461,613 7/1923 Gilbert 194-4 X 1,872,110 8/1932 Brand 194-4 X 2,875,878 3/1959 Hoban 194-10 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

S. H. TOLLBERG, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED COMPRISING: A COMPARTMENT; A CLOSURE MOUNTED FOR PROVIDING ACCESS TO SAID COMPARTMENT WHEN SAID CLOSURE IS OPEN AND FOR PREVENTING ACCESS WHEN SAID CLOSURE IS LOCKED; A LOCK MEANS, OPERABLE BY A CHECK MEANS, FOR LOCKING SAID CLOSURE MOUNTED IN COOPERATIVE RELATION WITH SAID COMPARTMENT AND CLOSURE; SENSING MEANS DISPOSED FOR SENSING THE PRESENCE OF AN ARTICLE IN SAID COMPARTMENT; GATE MEANS FOR PRECLUDING THE INSERTION OF SAID CHECK MEANS INTO SAID LOCK MEANS; MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID CHECK MEANS SUBSEQUENT TO THE OPERATION OF SAID LOCK MEANS; CONTROL MEANS FOR CAUSING OPERATION OF SAID GATE MEANS IN RESPONSE TO SAID SENSING MEANS SENSING THE PRESENCE OF AN ARTICLE IN SAID COMPARTMENT WHEREBY TO CONDITION SAID LOCK MEANS FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF SAID CHECK MEANS, AND UPON SAID LOCK MEANS BEING OPERATED BY SAID CHECK MEANS TO CAUSE SAID MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID CHECK MEANS TO RETAIN SUCH CHECK MEANS WHILE SAID SENSING MEANS SENSES THE PRESENCE OF AN ARTICLE IN SAID COMPARTMENT, AND SAID CONTROL MEANS CAUSING SAID MEANS FOR RETAINING THE CHECK MEANS TO RELEASE THE CHECK MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID SENSING MEANS SENSING THE ABSENCE OF AN ARTICLE IN SAID COMPARTMENT. 